AN: okay, so now, not only am I completely obsessed with POtC (I mean who couldn't be?), but now I am in love with Troy. For any of you who have seen it, I think you'll understand. For any of you who haven't, well, you need to. It's a wonderful movie and I LOVED it. Granted, it was no Pirates, but it was still a great movie. Everybody needs to see it!
"An invisible line divides the outlaw from the law abiding."
Celia Rees, excerpt from her novel Pirates!
Silver and Gold
Chapter Ten: Dreams and Revelations
Lor sat quietly on the large, four poster bed occupying the ornately decorated bedroom, her elbows resting lightly on her knees. She had removed her heavy dress, deciding to sit just in her shift and bloomers. If she had been able to remove the corset by herself, she would have. She had almost taken a knife to the bloody thing, but had decided against it, figuring that it wouldn't make her grandfather very happy. Plus, a lady would never do such a thing.
A knock on the door startled her, causing her eyes to flick to the door. "Come in."
The door opened slowly, revealing an elderly woman dressed in a bright blue gown, a younger woman standing behind her dressed in a plain white dress with a black apron. The younger woman's head was lowered, refusing to meet either woman's gaze. The older woman gasped at the sight of Lor, her hand going to her chest.
"Good heavens child! You should not be sitting so improperly!" she cried. "You must be dressed, or at least you must wear your dressing gown."
Lor stood up slowly, one hand going to her corseted waist. "I am sorry Lady Emma. I sought merely to cool down. My dress was becoming much too stifling."
Emma laughed, her hands crossing lightly in front of her waist. "I understand my dear, but you must stay decent if you are to allow guests into your room," she flipped her hand at the woman behind her, gesturing for her to retrieve the dressing gown off of the stuffed chair. "This is Amaris. She will be your maid. Well, one of them at least."
"I do not. . ." Lor protested.
Emma held up her hand. "I do not know how you lived in the Caribbean my dear, but here you will live like a civilized woman."
Lor fought back a laugh. Civilized? Oh, she was civilized all right. Just in a different sort of way. "Of course, my lady," she replied instead, allowing Amaris to wrap the gown around her shoulders.
"We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, my dear."
"Do we?" Lor replied, uninterested turning her attention instead to the setting sun outside of her large window.
"Yes. We are going into town. We must order you more gowns."
Lor groaned inwardly, wincing slightly. "I have gowns, my lady."
Emma laughed again. "Of course you do. But they are mere dinner gowns. You must have dresses for balls and parties. You cannot wear the same dress to each and every occasion."
Lor's eyebrows rose. "Balls? Parties?"
"Of course. These are normal occasions where our family must be seen. My dear girl, how were you raised on those islands?" Emma scoffed.
"Poorly, it seems," Lor replied quietly, her attention still riveted on the setting sun.
The gold filled room glittered, causing obscured shadows to slither around her. She looked around, the room causing a golden haze to cover her vision. She knew this place. She had been here before. She wasn't supposed to be here. They had warned her before.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" a deep voice said behind her.
Lor turned around quickly, her hand going for her oddly missing sword. Her eyes widened at the image that stood before her.
A solitary man stood in front of her, clad in light brown breeches, black boots, and a white shirt. His auburn hair was wild about his face, contrasting completely with his neatly trimmed beard.
"Father?" she whispered.
Timothy "Black" Adams laughed heartily. "Don't look so surprised my dear. It was you, after all, who called out to me."
"That's impossible," she said.
"Not really," he replied. "Not with that thing on your back. It's special, you know. It's not as much of a curse as you believe it to be. You are its Guardian, its Protector, which means you are tied to it." He paused, his calloused hand brushing her cheek. "And everybody who has ever loved you is tied to it as well."
"Including you?"
Timothy laughed. "Of course! How could you think otherwise?" He paused again, his green eyes boring into hers. "But I'm much more than that. I loved your mother, who was a Guardian, as you well know. I was her Protector, her husband, therefore I became a Guardian as well. And so. . ."
"You're tied to this bloody map as well, aren't you?" Lor whispered again.
"Aye, love, that I am. As is the one you love."
Lor inhaled sharply at her father's words. How could he have known?
"Pirates don't fall in love," she replied quietly, staring down at the dusty floor. "As I've been told."
"And you believed him? Don't be foolish," Timothy said heatedly, pushing her an arm's length away from him, leaning down to gaze into her eyes. "He is your Protector. He is the one who will protect you from harm. Do not withhold him from your life, you will need him.
"Find him, my daughter. Find him and keep him. Find him and love him, as I did your mother. Do not let your stubbornness get in the way of your destiny. Do not let it get in the way of your future."
Will walked slowly through the doorway, ducking slightly so that the giggling boy sitting atop his shoulders wouldn't hit his head on the doorframe. "Elizabeth?" he called, kneeling down to allow Alex to climb off of his shoulders. "Elizabeth, are you home?"
When he received no reply from his wife, Will walked further down the hallway, heading for the small dining room. "Elizabeth?" he called again, his left hand gripping the hilt of the sword that never strayed from his side, not after all of the events that had occurred over the last few years.
"Daddy?" Alex called softly, his voice questioning.
Will's hand dropped slightly, gesturing for Alex to stay still. He peered into the open room slowly, his eyes scanning the room for any dangers that he could be facing. Instead, his wandering gaze fell on Elizabeth sitting at the small dining table, paper spread out in front of her, her long hair hanging loosely about her shoulders.
"Elizabeth?" he called again.
Elizabeth jumped slightly at his voice. "Oh, Will, I didn't hear you come in."
"Are you all right, my love?" he asked, stepping into the room.
Elizabeth smiled weakly. "Of course."
"What's wrong?" he pressed, knowing his wife was lying to him.
"Noth. . . oh bugger," she whispered, causing Will's eyes to widen. "Will, we received a letter. It was from Jack."
Will's eyebrows furrowed. "Jack? He never sends letters. He claimed it was too dangerous."
Elizabeth nodded, closing her eyes and sighing slightly. "Will, he's going to England."
DON'T FORGET!!! The contest for the preview to the first chapter of the third story in the Sui Generis series is still going on! The submitted articles should be a poem or scene that includes Jack and Lor as the main characters. You should submit them via e-mail to PirateGyrlaol.com. The contest will continue until the end of Silver and Gold. The winner of this contest will receive the chapter via e-mail when SaG is complete. In the subject space, type "Lor/Jack contest" so I know what the e-mail is about. Remember, it's no fun if no one enters the contest! I hope you all participate!
Next: Chapter 11: Adjustments.
Dawnie-7: I hope to read a submission of yours for my contest soon! And, well, hug Jack? Hmmmm. . . . I could think of something a little bit better to do with him. . . .
PED-sarah: I'm glad you liked the chapter, I'll try to keep it that good, or maybe it'll get better! And, I understand about the lack of inspiration thing. I go through that all the time. But, I hope you can enter.
DaydreamBeliever14: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
NazgulGirl: You know, you'd think I'd be able to update more now that I'm not in school, but no. Now, I no longer have to worry about school work, oh no, now I get the bloody writer's block! I'll update as fast as I can. I promise!
Mystery GYRL: Okay, one: you don't know exactly what's gonna happen. And two: I don't even know what's gonna happen exactly. I haven't entirely figured it out yet. But thankz.